Cheese and crackers: simple enough, you’d think. But swap one biscuit for another and the same cheese can take on a new dimension. A buttery spelt cracker might give a bold Cheddar all the attention, while a malty wholemeal one can bring out its deeper, savoury side. Add fruit to the equation and the character of the pairing changes again.
So, if you’re building a cheeseboard for Christmas, having friends round or simply wondering which packet to open with your favourite Snowdonia Cheese Co truckle, here’s our guide to the best crackers for cheese.
Why are cheese and cracker pairings important?
A cracker does more than provide something crunchy underneath the cheese. It becomes part of the experience, changing which flavours and textures you notice.
That crispness is particularly good against creamy or crumbly cheeses. A subtle biscuit gives stronger flavours room to breathe, while something nuttier or fruitier can pick up notes already there in the cheese. Put a few different crackers on the cheeseboard and you can taste the same cheese in several different ways.
What makes the best cheese and crackers pairing?
Much of it comes down to deciding whether you want the cracker to sit back or bring something of its own. With a rich mature Cheddar, for example, a wholemeal cracker has enough savoury flavour to hold its own. Strongly flavoured cheeses with chilli, smoke or truffle often suit something lighter, so those distinctive flavours aren’t crowded out.
Fruit crackers are another story. Their sweetness can be a great counterpoint to savoury cheese, but they’re also delicious when there’s already a fruity character to pick up on.
The best cheese for crackers – and the best cracker for any particular cheese – is the combination that lets both taste their best. 
Best crackers for cheese
Our three cracker varieties each bring something different to the cheeseboard, from delicate and buttery to malty or fruity.
Spelt & Sea Salt Crackers
Light, crisp and delicately seasoned, our Spelt & Sea Salt Crackers are the ones to reach for when you want the cheese to do most of the talking. They’re baked in small batches with spelt flour, sea salt and natural yoghurt, giving them a buttery flavour and delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Pair them with bolder cheeses such as Red Storm, Beech Wood or Truffle Trove, where their subtle flavour won’t compete with what’s on top.
Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers
There’s more savoury depth to our Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers, made with stoneground wholemeal flour and extra virgin olive oil. They have a satisfying crunch and a gently nutty, malty character that’s particularly good with rich, creamy hard cheeses. Black Bomber is a natural match, as is the deeply savoury Rock Star. They’re also an excellent all-rounder if you’re serving several Snowdonia Cheese Co favourites together.
Fig & Cranberry Crackers
Packed with juicy figs and cranberries, these crisp crackers bring a sweet, fruity note to the cheeseboard. That makes them a lovely contrast to richer cheeses with plenty of character. Try them with Rock Star, blue cheese or a nutty Gruyère. They also come into their own alongside our fruit and alcohol-infused cheeses, where the fig and cranberry can echo flavours already in the cheese.
What crackers to pair with our cheese?
Black Bomber
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fig & Cranberry
- Spelt & Sea Salt
Black Bomber’s rich, full flavour is right at home with the nuttiness of Wholemeal Crackers. The extra crunch is rather good against that famously creamy texture too.
Rock Star
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fig & Cranberry
- Spelt & Sea Salt
Rock Star has plenty of deep savoury flavour and bold umami notes. Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers have enough character to meet it without getting in the way.
Red Storm
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Spelt & Sea Salt
Red Storm’s caramelised notes work beautifully with the earthy nuttiness of Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers, finished with a good crisp crunch.
Green Thunder
- Spelt & Sea Salt
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic and herbs are the stars here, so keep the cracker simple. Spelt & Sea Salt provides a light, savoury base that lets Green Thunder’s distinctive flavour come through clearly.
Red Devil
- Spelt & Sea Salt
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers
The gentle flavour of Spelt & Sea Salt Crackers gives Red Devil’s warming chilli plenty of room, while their crispness helps balance the heat.
Beech Wood
- Spelt & Sea Salt
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers
Beech Wood already brings its own smoky character, so a delicately seasoned Spelt & Sea Salt Cracker is all it needs underneath.
Truffle Trove
- Spelt & Sea Salt
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fig & Cranberry
With truffle, simplicity wins. Spelt & Sea Salt lets Truffle Trove’s rich, earthy flavours linger and its crunch adds textural contrast to the extra mature Cheddar’s creaminess.
Ruby Mist
- Fig & Cranberry
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fig & Cranberry Crackers pick up Ruby Mist’s fruity character and add another little burst of sweetness alongside it.
Amber Mist
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fig & Cranberry
The gentle nuttiness of wholemeal crackers suits Amber Mist’s rich flavour, without tipping the pairing too far towards sweetness.
Bouncing Berry
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fig & Cranberry
Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers are a good foil for Bouncing Berry, bringing an earthy, savoury note alongside the fruit and keeping the combination nicely balanced.
Pickle Power
- Spelt & Sea Salt
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pickle Power – Cheddar with chunks of pickled onions – has a fresh, zingy and deeply savoury flavour. A Spelt & Sea Salt Cracker keeps things crisp and simple, leaving that distinctive onion flavour firmly in charge.
Purple Vale
- Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Spelt & Sea Salt
The nuttiness of Wholemeal & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers sits beautifully alongside Purple Vale’s rich balsamic flavour, giving the pairing extra crunch while letting those sweet, complex notes linger.
The best part about building a cheeseboard is trying the combinations for yourself. Put out a few cheeses, add more than one style of cracker and see which pairings disappear first…
